A customer who calls one person and hears it ring out rarely calls back. Ring groups and follow me are two simple phone system features that fix this: one makes a whole team answer a single number, the other makes one person reachable wherever they are. This guide explains both, with the settings that matter in Voxdial IP PBX.
Ring group vs follow me
| Ring group | Follow me | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One number that rings several extensions | One extension that also rings other numbers |
| Best for | Teams: sales, support, front desk | People who move: managers, doctors, field staff |
| Who answers | Whoever in the team is free | The same person, on desk phone or mobile |
| If nobody answers | Falls through to voicemail, a queue or another destination | Falls through to voicemail or another destination |
How a ring group works
A ring group has its own internal number. Point an IVR option, a direct number or a reception key at it, and every call to it rings the member extensions, either all at once or in turn. In Voxdial you set:
- Members: the extensions that ring.
- Ring strategy: all at once answers fastest; ringing in order spreads the load across the team.
- Ring time: how long the group rings before the call falls through.
- Fall-through destination: where unanswered calls go, such as voicemail or a call centre queue.
- Announcement and music: what the caller hears while the group rings.
Useful ring group options
- Skip busy agent: do not ring members who are already on a call.
- Confirm calls: the person answering presses a key to accept, useful when a member’s phone forwards to a mobile.
- Call pickup: colleagues can pick up a ringing group call from their own phone.
- Caller ID prefix: add a label such as “Sales” to the caller ID so staff know which number the customer dialled.
- Call recording: record calls to the group.
How follow me works
Follow me is set per extension. When someone calls that extension, the desk phone rings alone for an initial ring time, then the other numbers on the list, such as a mobile or a colleague, ring together or in sequence. If nobody answers, the call goes to the fall-through destination.
Two settings make it reliable:
- Confirm calls. A mobile that is switched off or busy sends calls to its own voicemail. Confirm calls asks the person to press a key to accept, so the mobile voicemail cannot take the call.
- Disable without deleting. Turn follow me off when someone is on leave and back on when they return, without setting it up again.
Real examples
- Sales team: IVR option 1 rings a ring group of five sales extensions; after 25 seconds it falls through to a queue.
- Clinic doctor: the consultation room extension rings for 15 seconds, then the doctor’s mobile with confirm calls on.
- Small office reception: the main number rings the reception and accounts extensions together; after hours, a time condition sends calls to voicemail.
Always set a fall-through
The most common mistake is a ring group or follow me with nowhere to go. Every one should end at voicemail to email, a queue, or an AI voice agent as backup. Read more ways to reduce missed customer calls.
BitVoice sets up ring groups and follow me as part of every Voxdial installation. Book a demo.
FAQs
What is a ring group in a phone system?
A ring group is one internal number that rings several extensions, all at once or in turn, so whoever is free answers the call.
What is follow me on a PBX?
Follow me makes a call to an extension also ring other numbers, such as the person’s mobile, after the desk phone rings for a set time.
Why do I need confirm calls on follow me?
Without it, a mobile that is busy or switched off can send the call to the mobile’s own voicemail. Confirm calls makes the person press a key to accept.
What happens if nobody in a ring group answers?
The call goes to the fall-through destination you set, such as voicemail, a call centre queue or another ring group.
